9-Steps to Building a Great School Slogan

This could be the most important blog I write all year!!!

After working with over 1,000 schools, I have come to believe that school slogans are the cheapest and most direct way to drive school culture. But even if you have one, it may not be working.

Do you ever hear your students and staff using your school slogan? If not, it’s not working!

Here’s a step-by-step, sure fire way to develop a slogan that will actually build school culture and empower student voice.

Step #1

Ask students to submit entries. Try doing this through your ELA class. Ask teachers to discuss great slogans such as “Just Do It”, “Happiest Place on Earth”, or “Got Milk?”

Talk about how these slogans have stood the test of time and are only 3 – 4 words long.

Step #2

Collect all entries from students and narrow them down to your top 30 choices. Look for slogans that represent your community, empower student voice, and sound catchy!

Step #3

Host a leadership summit where you ask student leaders to discuss the SEL issues on campus and come up with solutions to address them. At the end of the summit, put each slogan on a single sheet of paper and have students check mark their two favorite choices. Use their votes to narrow the 30 selections down to your Top 5.

Step #4

Engage students and staff in a conversation about why they like each of the Top 5. Ask them how each slogan could build school culture. Take notes!

Step #5 

Sit down with a small group of key staff members and select student leaders and pick your slogan!

Step #6

Host a school assembly where you can hype up your school culture and unveil your new school slogan. Make it a celebration! Go all out and have fun!

Step #7

Create free t-shirts or wristbands for all students and have the slogan printed on them. Work with companies like Lifetouch or Waterboy to print banners, signage, or wall graphics that display your slogan on your campus walls. 

Step #8

Use the new slogan often in conversations with students, in lesson plans with teachers, and in communications with parents or posts on social media. #InsertYourSchoolSloganHere

Step #9

Great job! Keep using that slogan, and watch your school culture grow!

For additional insight on this specific process CLICK HERE to watch Keven Ley, the Vice Principal at Lander Middle School, discuss the benefit of this 9-step process.

For additional thoughts and ideas download a free copy of my school culture book at teentruth.net/schoolculture or check out Sarah Hayden’s latest TEEN TRUTH blog. In it she offers four awesome strategies to build school culture, plus a free lesson plan. CLICK HERE to read it today!